Your Promise
by solitary echo
Summary: Songfic to a Mest song. Sandy Foster is Reva's son, Lizzie has an older sister. Sandy finds romance in Springfield and Marah, Shayne and Sandy become closer. SandyOC, MarahTony, TammyNico, MarinaShayne.
1. Prelude

Title: Your Promise  
Author: solitary echo  
Summary: Songfic to a Mest song. Sandy Foster is Reva's son, and Beth and Philip have another daughter from a long time ago, so Lizzie has an older sister. Sandy finds romance in Springfield, Marah comes to grips with the fact that Sandy is her brother and Marah, Shayne and Sandy become closer. Features Marah/Tony, Tammy/Nico, Lizzie/Joey, Marina/Shayne, but is based upon Sandy/Original Character.  
Disclaimer: I only own Allie Spaulding. All other characters belong to CBS and Procter and Gamble.  
Author's Note: I edited a couple things. I changed the main female character's name to Allie, and made her a Spaulding instead of a Cooper. I also realized that I had the wrong song in the title, so I changed it.

Prelude: Return to Self-Loathing

Marah couldn't believe that all this time, Sandy was her half-brother. Every time she'd spoken to him, every time she'd entrusted herself to him...and he'd known all along that they were related. But he'd never said a word. She would have normally been overjoyed to find that there was another sibling around for her to get to know, and become close to. But the fact that this sibling had known all along that he was her brother, and not said even a word to her--not even an inkling to let her know that they were related? No. Marah wouldn't take that sitting down. She watched as he sat across the table at Company, beside her mother, awaiting her reaction. "Excuse me, Sandy? Did you just say...you're my brother?" 

Sandy was enthralled, but Marah's reaction brought him straight back to Earth. "I...yeah, I am. But I didn't think you'd...I...um..." his uncontrollable nervousness kicked in as he looked Marah in the eye, then turned to Reva, who gave him a gentle look, urging him to continue. "I just didn't know if you'd accept me the same way, knowing we were related and all. Marah..." he bit his lower lip and sighed. "I'm sorry. I should have told you sooner..." he frowned. "I just..."  
Marah shook her head and shushed Sandy. "You know...you could have told me. And mom...how can you accept this? He just wants to waltz into the family and become your third child? Shayne needs you too much right now for you to have to take care of someone else!" she screeched, standing up and looking at Reva with an angry look in her eye.

Reva looked from Sandy to Marah and sighed. "Marah, Shayne already talked to Sandy. Or--Sandy talked to Shayne and he did his best to reply. Shayne seemed happy..." she explained, not wanting to get in too deep with Marah at that moment. "Please, let's just talk about this..."  
Marah shook her head and looked from Reva to Sandy. "I can't believe you didn't tell me..." she shook her head and rushed outside, not even waiting for a reply from Sandy or Reva, and just leaving.  
Sandy blinked and looked to Reva. "Well...that didn't go over well at all. Maybe I should try to talk to her again tomorrow or something?" he asked with a slight frown. "I mean...I probably just sprung this on her a little too quickly..."  
Reva nodded and shrugged, smiling at her newfound son. "Trust me, Sandy. Marah will come around. I can talk to her, if you'd like. Maybe give her a couple of days to cool down..."

Sandy nodded and frowned. "I guess. Thanks. But...I have to get going. I have a psychology class in a few minutes and I don't want to be late or anything..." he smiled at Reva and stood up to leave. "I'll give you a call later tonight, okay?" he wrapped his arms around his mother in a slight hug, then rushed out the door. That confrontation went the exact opposite of what he'd hoped. He wanted to get a good start with his family, but it wasn't happening that way, as he'd figured out. He shook his head and sighed. Finding out that he was related to the Lewis' wasn't at all what he expected it to be. A sigh escaped his lips as he started his car and headed toward Springfield University. 

~~

Allie Spaulding sighed deeply. Upon finding out that she was his and Beth Raines' daughter, Philip Spaulding had asked her to move to Springfield from sunny Florida with her adoptive mom and dad Ellen and Carl Ellis, and she wasn't even close to being used to the bitter cold yet. Winter up north was harsh and uncomfortable, and the only good things she'd seen in Springfield as of yet were her best friends, Marah Lewis and Marina Cooper. She was taking classes at Springfield University, and she hated them all except for her psychology course. She loved psychology and learning about the inner machinations of people's minds. She only wished that she'd had the opportunity sooner, when she was being abused and talked down to by her drunkard step father.

Getting to Springfield was no picnic for Allie, either. She came to find that her younger sister, Lizzie Spaulding, was a basket case...she'd sabotaged all the people's lives who'd tried to get close to someone in her family. God only knew when Allie's time was going to come. She shook her head and sighed. Not only was Lizzie psycho, but her family was too dense to even see that it was so. Her mother was so wrapped up in her own affairs that Lizzie was the farthest thing from her mind. Her father was too busy getting every other woman in town knocked up to even care about Lizzie, and her grandfather, Alan and aunt Alexandra thought Lizzie was an angel. Thank God she had Marah and Marina, because without them, she would have already left Springfield, and been back in Florida, on her own...away from the Ellis'. 

Marah was supposed to be in that class with her, but she was taking time off from school to take care of her brother and Marina's boyfriend, Shayne Lewis, who had just been paralyzed from the chest down in a car accident. Allie's sympathy was unparalleled, and she knew that they'd spend plenty of time together once things got straightened out with Shayne. She glanced around the class, wondering where everyone else was. She knew that she was mildly early, but the fact that she was the only person in the class bothered her a bit. As soon as she thought that, though, an older man entered the room, presumably the professor. She took a seat as soon as he entered, and after about five minutes, the room was filled.

She looked over to the seat beside her and smiled. A guy, not much older than she was, with black hair and blue eyes smiled back over at her, although he looked far from happy, aside from the smile. She immediately looked back to the professor, though, as he began the lesson. She looked at the guy sitting beside her out of the corner of her eye, though. He was gorgeous! She peeled her eyes from him and looked up to the front of the class, a smile on her face now. Maybe after class, they could talk. Besides, her grandpa, Alan Spaulding was paying to put her through psych classes, and she didn't want him to flip when she flunked out of them because she was staring at some guy whose name she didn't even know. Wouldn't she love seeing his face then...all scrunched up and veiny.

~~

Sandy watched as she paid close attention to the professor. She was pretty! She had long, light brown hair, bright brown eyes and a killer smile. Her deeply embedded tan shone bright under the florescent light in the room. He wondered who she was--and how he could have never seen her before. He tore his eyes away from her and paid attention to what the professor was saying. It was difficult, though, when all he wanted to do was find out her name. After thinking about her for a couple more seconds, his mind drew back to Marah, and the fact that she'd rejected him as a brother. Shayne had accepted him, but Marah--the one he'd expected acceptance from, had kicked him to the curb. Even Josh had accepted him, although he wasn't even his son.

He held back a sigh and closed his eyes. Concentration was futile at that point, and he knew it. Life as Sandy Foster knew it was tearing apart at the seams...deforming into something new before his eyes. Truthfully, he wasn't sure he was ready for the change. He was used to having nothing but his mole puppet. Then Marah came along, but he'd more than realized that she was no longer a presence in his life, whether it be sisterly or friendly. A very low-pitched sigh escaped his lips. At least now he had a mother, someone he could tell at least a part of his life story to. Never, though, would Reva Lewis know about how Michael Foster abused him, or how he never had any friends. The only person he'd ever told that to was Marah. And now she was gone.

It was becoming abundantly clear to Sandy that he was never supposed to tell anyone anything. He was forever to remain a secret, and if anyone ever found out about him, they would be taken from him, whether it be by choice or by force. He was destined to be a loner...

__

Looking for answers to all the questions no one knows  
Bleeded and begged, asked you for nothing but something showed  
Your uneasy eyes the sweat on your forehead, everyone's pointing your nervous out.  
You're restless and weak, time to start over. There's nothing to keep them from knowing this now.  
Nothing to keep them from knowing this now.  
Promises, shattered pieces, memories of nothing. Cowardly you'll face this all alone.  
You're finding your truths are nothing but lies still no one knows.  
You see yourself run, but I see you crawling to face the truth.  
Your hesitant now, your heart must be burning, ripping and tearing, your insides are numb.  
Restless and weak, time to start over, and nothing can keep them from emptiness now.  
Nothing can keep them from emptiness now.  
Promises, shattered pieces, memories of nothing. Cowardly you'll face this all alone.  
You know how this will end, cause the pain inside your head is cutting yourself thin.  
Nothing to do now when you're buried underground. Your promise haunts you now.  
Promises, shattered pieces, memories of nothing. Cowardly you'll face this all alone.  
Your Promise: MEST 


	2. Chapter One

Author's Note: Okay, so I love Marah and all, but she and Lizzie, Tony and Joey aren't exactly going to be the best people in this fic. Marah wants to ruin Sandy and Lizzie wants to ruin Allie, so...piece it together.

Chapter One

__

Sandy walked down the hall at Mills High School, ignoring all of the comments and laughter coming his way. He hated them. All of them. So, he couldn't afford the fancy clothes and cool things that they all had. So he didn't drink or do drugs, or any of that stuff. They never gave him a chance. He was a good guy...at least he thought he was. He didn't need any of them, and their superficial values--a flash of white light--and the scenery changed. He sat in his bedroom, cowered alone in the corner, crying. He wasn't useless. He wasn't horrible. He wasn't a lost cause. He deserved friends, he deserved to know his mother...his father lied. He could do nothing but cry...until the door to his bedroom swung open, and his father's angry eyes bared into him.

Sandy sat bolt upright, in a cold sweat. He hated those dreams, and it seemed as though they were coming every night. He looked at the clock on his bedside table. Three thirty...one more hour of sleep than the night prior. He figured that was it for that morning. Besides, he'd been surviving on four hours worth for the past few months. Five hours was an improvement. He stood up and stretched. In five hours, he could go visit Shayne in the hospital, but that gave him five whole hours of Sandy time. Five whole hours alone with his thoughts. Five whole hours to recollect the fact that he'd lost the only friend he'd ever truly had. Five hours to confess to the fact that he was a loser, and that he needed a life...

A life...people with lives were overrated. Sandy didn't want to become one of the people that had put him through so much hell. He didn't want to become the kind of person who hurt others, and he didn't want to become the kind of person who drove everything good in his life out. He walked to the kitchen and put a pot of coffee on. He called his attention, for a second, to his newfound family. Reva and Josh had a stone cold commitment...no matter what happened, they seemed to find one another again. Marah had Tony, whom she was miserable without. Shayne and Marina were perfect for each other. Sandy...was perfect for no one. He was a loner, loser...anything bad in the world, Sandy was it.

Pouring himself a thermos of coffee, he went upstairs, combed his hair, got dressed, put his jacket on and went out for a walk. The chill of the bitter December morning air bit at his face, but he shook it off and forced a smile onto his face. The smile wasn't as forced as it could have been, though. The beauty of the snow on the ground and the ice on the lake made it possible for him to really smile. It looked like there were a million diamonds stretched out in front of him, and when he looked at the lake, it looked almost as though it were a clear glass platform stretching out over the water. He looked back to the snow in front of him, then out to the road, watching two cars pass by.

Two cars. Even the cars in Springfield went in pairs. He breathed in a deep sigh, and the cold air was a harsh awakening to his nose. He could almost smell the cold in the air, but the sky looked almost like it would on a summer night...filled with stars, and a bright moon on it's way down out of the sky, to allow the sun it's time to shine. Even the moon wasn't alone. It had billions of stars to keep it company. He frowned and looked away from the road. Turning his head back to the ice for a second, he breathed in the bitter air. December was a strange month. Everyone wanted to spend time with their families...and even though Christmas was already past, Sandy still saw three or four extra cars at almost every house he passed by. Then, at certain houses there were no cars, signifying that those people were visiting someone for the holiday.

He looked back to the road and let off a slight smile. It almost went without saying that Christmas at the Spaulding mansion was an interesting time. He could only imagine old Alexandra Spaulding making plans with Alan, Philip, Beth, Lillian, Lizzie and James for the Christmas holiday. That would be what the world would call Christmas Chaos. _Maybe they should make that a movie. Christmas Chaos: A Very Spaulding Christmas...I'd buy a ticket to go and see that one! I'd go twice!_ He thought as he passed by the Spaulding mansion. Then, when he was almost to where he could no longer see the mansion, he turned around and walked back to it, stopping directly in front. Although it was a madhouse, there was no doubt in Sandy's mind that it was filled with love around this time of year.

God knows that the Spaulding children had to get all of the best Christmas presents. Sandy didn't get a single thing this year, not even from some fan of his radio show. Not that it surprised him. Spending Christmas alone was something that he'd gotten used to. At least this year, he had a visitor. At least this year, Marah had stopped by and wished him a Merry Christmas. But...on New Year's Eve, when everyone was supposed to be kissing their most loved person at midnight? Sandy would be alone. Maybe Reva would let him come to the Lewis New Year's Eve party, although she probably wouldn't because with him there, chances are, Marah would leave. Marah hated him. The only friend he'd ever had...his own sister...and she hated him.

He choked his tears back, trying not to let them freeze to his face. He needed something to make him smile. The Spauldings. He wondered what their New Year's celebration was like each year. They probably all ate fancy cheese off of a diamond encrusted silver platter. He laughed at that thought. The Spauldings lead everyone's dream life. Sandy sighed and sat on a rock in front of the Spaulding mansion, wishing that someday, he could live a life like they did.

~~

Allie couldn't believe that her sister had almost killed her best friend. "So, you sent Ben Reade up to the Bauer cabin, KNOWING that Marina was there with Shayne?" she stared at Lizzie in disbelief. "How in the name of all things good and decent did you think that was going to turn out?"  
Lizzie shrugged, looking at her doll with a maniacal look in her eye. "I didn't know that Ben was a psychopath. How was I supposed to know that he was a serial killer?" she asked, a phony innocent look in her eye. "I had absolutely no intention of hurting Marina. I just wanted her to get back with Ben..."  
Allie was in disbelief. "Well then, how do you explain Olivia Spencer's fall at the Beacon?" she asked with an angry look in her eye. Allie had met Olivia Spencer, and found her to be a very nice person. "I mean, the carpet didn't tear itself, Lizzie..." she explained.

Lizzie beamed with pride at Allie's statement. "Yeah, I know. I did that. But I didn't mean to hurt her..." she lied through her teeth. "I mean, I started tearing the carpet when I was bored one day and I told old fatso to get it fixed, so she did...and I guess it was just a bonus that I re-tore it and she fell."  
Allie's eyes widened in horror. "Lizzie! You almost killed Olivia and her baby! You know, now she's terrified to be near you? That doesn't even bother you at all?" she asked, with a still horrified look in her eyes. "And...Marina--if I even mention your name in a sentence to Marina...she gets all freaked out! The only person you really have left as a friend is Tammy...and you messed that up with the whole Joey scene!"  
Lizzie raised an eyebrow. "How did you find all of this out? What, did mom and nana give you the scoop on the past years worth of events in my life?" she asked with a glare in Allie's direction. "They have to tell the newfound daughter everything in the world..."

Allie shook her head. "Actually, no, Lizzie. You give Beth and Lillian far too little credit. I heard this all from Marina, and Tammy updated me on the part with Joey, so don't blame them for this. You need to look to the people who's lives you've messed up, rather than the people who love you!" she leaned against the doorframe in Lizzie's room, ready to leave at any second.  
Lizzie grinned. "I know they love me. They love me unconditionally, because I'm a bad girl and they don't believe it when anyone tells them!" she threw her doll onto the floor and smiled maniacally at Allie. "I bet I could knock you out by throwing something at you, and tell them that you just passed out...and they'd believe me!"  
Allie rolled her eyes and turned to leave Lizzie's room. "Lizzie, you need to see somebody aside from Christopher Langham. I really think you need around the clock supervision or something. Like...in a hospital or something..." she explained, turning around and seeing the angry look in Lizzie's face. "Before you hurt someone that's only trying to help...like me," she turned back around and left the room without another word.  
Lizzie mumbled a couple words under her breath, and then, when she was sure that Allie was out of earshot, she spoke up a little. "Your time's coming sooner than you think, Allie..." she grinned.

Allie shook her head as she walked away from Lizzie's room. _How could we have come from the same gene pool? I never went through that phase...I'm sure the Ellis' would have me on the bottom of a lake somewhere..._she walked to the door, debating whether to take an early morning walk or not. After quick deliberation, she grabbed her winter coat off the coat rack and opened the door, had a quick conversation with the Spaulding mansion gatekeeper, which consisted of her saying where she was going, and him wishing her a good walk, and then she left. She stood on the sidewalk for a second, debating which way to go, when she looked straight ahead and saw someone sitting alone on a rock.

__

What do you know...she thought. _I'm not the only one who takes three-thirty a.m. walks..._she started to cross the road, and as she walked to the right side of the three-thirty walker, she walked up beside him and noticed that he was strangely familiar. _Ooh...I know him! The guy from psych class!_ She grinned as she reached over to tap him on the shoulder. "Um..." she spoke softly and shyly. "Hey...I saw you in my psych class earlier...and I recognized you just a second ago..." she could have smacked herself. She sounded like an idiot.  
He raised his head. "Oh...yeah, I recognize you!" he stood up and looked face-to-face at the girl he'd been staring at earlier. "Hi...I'm Sandy Foster..." he held his hand out for her to shake.  
She shook his hand and smiled politely, debating whether or not to tell him that she was a Spaulding. _What could it hurt? _She asked herself. "Allie Spaulding...nice to meet you..." she smiled politely at him. "Hold on...Sandy Foster? As in...'Sandy and the Mole's' Sandy Foster?" she asked with a smile. 

Sandy nodded and shrugged, flashing her a slight grin. "Guilty as charged. I take it you listen to the show?" he asked her, a little surprised that Spaulding spawn would listen to Sandy and the Mole.  
She grinned back at him. "I KNEW I recognized your voice! I love the show!" she grinned. She'd been an avid Sandy and the Mole listener since she'd moved to Springfield. "Tell Moley that I said he's TOO funny..." she winked at him. "Oh...and that candlelight vigil for Shayne Lewis...that was too sweet..."  
He bit his lower lip. He hated that people always thought the Mole was funnier than he was, although, in reality, he was the Mole. "Will do..." he lied, sitting back down on the rock. "And thanks, by the way..." he took a drink of his coffee. "So, what are you doing out so late?"  
She shrugged and sat down on a lower rock. "I don't know. Just couldn't sleep, I guess. What about you?" she asked, making herself as comfortable as she could, sitting on her jacket on the rock.

He half-smiled, knowing that the truth would be way too crazy, especially to tell a stranger. "I couldn't sleep either. I guess we're nothing but a couple insomniacs..." the half-smile turned to a full smile as he looked into Allie's hazel eyes and saw her smiling back at him.  
She nodded and found herself lost in Sandy's eyes. She'd always considered herself more of a Mole fan, but sitting there with Sandy, seeing him face-to-face, it was almost as though there was no Mole. Those blue eyes were so easy to get lost in. "Yeah, I guess so. But in that place, it's easy to lose sleep..." she stretched. "I think I'd be a lot better off trying to sleep in the snow than in there..."  
He laughed and looked back at the Spaulding mansion. "Oh, come on...don't they have waterbeds and fluffy pillows with satin sheets and pillowcases in there?" he asked, looking back at Allie curiously.  
She nodded her head and laughed a little. "Yeah, but they are by far overrated, Sandy. Trust me. Give me a cotton sheet, regular bed and plain pillow any day..." she flashed him a million dollar smile.

Sandy grinned a little. "Yeah, but living there with your family be nice. I mean, just...you know, having people around who love you and care about you and stuff?" he shrugged and looked back over to the Spaulding mansion over his shoulder. "I'm sure having Alan and Alexandra Spaulding as relatives must be nice..."  
Allie pushed some of her hair behind her ear. "Alan and Alex are oblivious to everyone around them except for them. It's a madhouse in there. It's almost like most people say it is...but Alan is paying for my psych classes, so I can't complain, I guess..." she looked at Sandy, causing her hair to fall back in front of her face.  
He yawned, shrugged and stood up. "Hey...I don't mean to be rude, Allie, but I think I'm going to get going. I'm gonna head home so I can maybe get a couple more hours of sleep, then go to see Shayne in the hospital, but I'll see you in class at nine, right?" he asked.

She nodded and smiled. "It was nice to meet you, Sandy. I'll save you a seat..." she stood up. "And don't forget to tell Moley what I said, okay?" she turned back toward the Spaulding mansion.  
Sandy laughed and nodded. "I'll be sure to tell him. Nice to meet you, Allie..." he headed back toward his apartment complex to try to get a little more sleep...


	3. Chapter Two

Author's Note: A huge thanks goes to Jester1979. Your feedback is awesome. Thanks, man! And...I decided NOT to make Marah evil. Instead of Marah and Lizzie ganging up against Sandy and Allie, it will be Eden and Lizzie. I just need to think of how to piece it together.

Chapter Two

Sandy stared off into space, lying in bed, afraid to fall asleep. Either that, or all of the coffee he'd drank was kicking in, and his desire to sleep had just flown away. He looked at the clock. It was seven thirty. He figured he should get showered and ready for the day, at least, before he went to see Shayne. He threw the blanket off of him, rolled out of bed and stretched. Not that he'd slept since he'd gotten back from talking to Allie, but he'd been in the same position since then, so he was having a hard time readjusting to standing up. He groaned a little as his back popped into place, and started toward the shower. After showering, he'd feel a lot more ready for the day. He let out a yawn and turned the shower on.

After he showered, he was far more awake than he had been. He looked at the clock now. He still had five minutes to dawdle before he absolutely had to leave. Not that he had to be there right when visiting hours began, he just thought that Shayne might want a little early morning company. More than likely, Marina would be there, and Josh would have spent the night, but a different face every once in awhile would do him a lot of good. He wondered if he'd see Marah, and how she would react to him if he did. He pulled on a black shirt and blue jeans, fixed his hair a little, then sat down on the couch to catch the last couple of minutes of Good Morning Springfield. Apparently, some poor soul was doing an exposé on the Spauldings, and they'd gotten an interview with everyone but Lizzie and Allie--and the children who could barely talk. He'd never imagined living as a Spaulding would be that difficult. Sure, the Spauldings all but owned Springfield, but they couldn't even have a slight family scandal without it being in the Springfield Gazette or on the nightly news. 

He could only imagine what it would be like if the truth about Lizzie Spaulding came to light. He wondered what it was like for Allie, being the only seemingly normal person in the Spaulding family. Seemingly normal...every person has at least a couple of abnormalities. A couple...Sandy would give anything to get rid of most of his and be left with only a couple. He wanted to be normal...lead a normal life, with normal friends...a normal family--but that wasn't about to happen. Then, he started to think of Allie. She was beautiful, smart, funny...everything that Sandy could ever dream of in a woman. But she was also a Spaulding. What on Earth would a Spaulding want with a guy like Sandy--a guy with no friends, a messed up family and no one to talk to but an old mole puppet? He wished he could get her attention in some way. There had to be some way to get through to her, to show her that they would be at least semi-good together.

He sat back for a second, thinking about his schedule. He had a full day ahead of him. From about eight to nine, he had to go and see Shayne in the hospital. From nine to ten, he had psych class. From ten to seven p.m., he had to go to work at Lewis Oil. From seven to nine he had to go to the station and tape Sandy and the Mole. Suddenly, it struck him. That was the way to get Allie Spaulding's attention. She was a fan of the show! He could mention her on the show and ask her to call in, and then have 'the Mole' set her up on a date with him! It was ingenious! That was one of the finer points of having an alter ego that no one knew about. A grin crossed his face as he picked his keys up off of the table and he rushed outside to his car.

~~

Allie sat in the waiting room with Marah as she waited for Marina Cooper and Tammy Winslow to get done visiting Shayne. She grinned at Marah, who was talking on her cell phone with Tony Santos, patching things up, from their most recent argument. She hoped someday that she could have a relationship with someone like the relationship Marah had with Tony. No matter what they went through, they always found their way back to each other. She'd LOVE a relationship like Marina and Shayne had. They'd made it through a car wreck, a psycho stalker and plenty of emotional damage...so it was safe to say that they'd be in it for the long haul. Even a relationship like Beth and Philip would suffice. They were still friends, even after a divorce and a couple of breakups. She secretly wondered in her head if Sandy was the kind of guy who looked for a relationship with commitment. 

Sandy...she was already thinking of Sandy and a serious relationship and she'd only just met him the night before. But there was something about his eyes that roped her in. She couldn't quite tell what it was, but he was so perfect. His smile, his eyes, his allure...she was charmed. She wondered if Marah knew about him, and what she thought of him. After Marah finished her phone call, Allie flashed her a curious look. "Marah..." she asked, raising a curious eyebrow. "Do you...by any chance...know a Sandy Foster?" a smile spread across her face when she said his name. "Like, as in, Sandy and the Mole's Sandy Foster?" she watched Marah's face.  
Any trace of a smile depleted, and Marah's brown eyes filled with anger. "Yeah, I do know Sandy, why?" she asked with a harsh tone in her voice. "What about him?" she raised an eyebrow. "I take it you've met him or something of the sort?" she raised an eyebrow. She was becoming more and more curious with every passing word from Marah, of what Sandy had done or said.

Allie nodded, and wondered why Marah wasn't smiling. Sandy seemed harmless enough...what could Marah have so strongly against him. "Yeah, he's in my psych class and I saw him last night on that three-thirty walk I told you about. We talked a little bit and..." she stopped herself from telling Marah that she thought that she liked him, since it seemed Marah had a vendetta against him for some unknown reason. "Wait...what's the matter with him, anyway? What'd he do to you?"  
Marah rolled her eyes and shook her head. "I guess I can tell you, since you need to be warned of how deceiving he really is, before you fall for him or something..." she leaned back in the waiting room chair. "Sandy and I were friends, but...he had a secret the whole time and he just, like, kept it from me. Actually, he had two secrets, one that he told, and one that he didn't..." she looked to Allie, wondering what she was thinking. Part of her knew, but another part of her also knew that you could never tell what a Spaulding was thinking.

Allie nodded and shrugged, wondering where Marah was going with this. "Everyone has secrets. I almost didn't tell you that I was a Spaulding, remember?" she asked with a slight grin. "I mean, you didn't expect him to just open up like a book, right?" she shook her head, knowing Marah wouldn't do that.  
Marah shook her head and sat up straight. "No, of course not. But one of the secrets...the one he didn't tell me up until the other day...was something I deserved to know," she put her cell phone back into her purse and looked into Allie's confused eyes. "Allie, he's my half-brother..." she explained.  
Allie expected some off the wall, outlandish secret that Marah exaggerated, like she did with almost everything else in the world, but this? This, she wouldn't put past a resident of Springfield. No, Springfield was definitely the center for all things weird, so she believed it. But she couldn't see why it would bother Marah to find out about a sibling she never knew about. "So...?" she asked.

Marah scoffed and looked at Allie, sort of offended. "So, you're telling me that if you were friends with Lizzie, and all of a sudden, she came out with the fact that you're sisters, you wouldn't be mad?" she asked with a disbelieving look on her face. "Come on, Allie..."  
Allie laughed a little and shrugged. "Okay, that wouldn't happen, because Lizzie and I would never be friends. I do see what you mean but, if Lizzie was as nice as Sandy seems, then I'd more than likely be overjoyed to have her as a sister..." she told Marah with a slight shrug.  
Marah shook her head and rolled her eyes again. "Well, that doesn't change my mind...but sure. Okay, now as for the secret that he did tell me? There isn't a Mole...like, the radio show Mole..." she blurted out loudly. "Well, there is, but...it's not human. It's not even alive..." she laughed a little as she spoke.

Allie raised an eyebrow. "What? I don't get it...where, exactly, are you going with this, Marah?" she asked, growing more and more confused with each word coming from Marah's mouth. "There is no Mole? Or...the Mole isn't a living thing? What is it, then?" she shrugged.  
Marah snickered and sat back in her chair again. "A mole puppet that he's had since way back when he was young. I mean, it's weird, because Sandy does its voice, and he imagines that he's talking to the thing! I mean, come on!" she rolled her eyes and looked to Allie, who's expression was becoming the opposite of what she thought she'd get. Her eyes weren't filled with disgust. She actually seemed MORE enamoured with Sandy. "What's the deal with you, Allie? I just told you that Sandy is a weirdo...and you actually seem like you're still INTERESTED in the guy?" a confused look graced Marah's face still.

Allie was amazed. _So...the Mole is Sandy...so when I said I was more of a Mole person...wow. He is..._her thoughts were interrupted by Marah's rudeness, but she simply smiled and shrugged. "Well, the guy has a personality then! Just a bonus to add to an already great personality..."  
Marah scoffed. "Allie, you're weird..." she stood up and stretched. "Are you coming to see Shayne, or not? Tammy's out of there, so we can go in now, since we know that nothing is going to drag Marina out of there..." she looked at the smile that was still plastered on Allie's face.  
Allie nodded and stood up. "I'll come in..." she turned around for a second, hearing the door open and someone enter the hospital. Glancing at the two people quickly, she smiled as she saw Marah's father, Josh Lewis, talking to none other than Sandy.

Sandy looked up and saw Allie standing right before his eyes. A smile graced his face as they exchanged glances. She was definitely beautiful. He gave off a subtle wave, then went back to talking to Josh and sat down in a chair beside him, talking about Lewis Oil or something.  
Allie waved back before he looked away, then went with Marah in to visit Shayne. Marina looked up at her two best friends and smiled a little. "Hey guys..." she spoke, still looking drained. "What's going on?"  
Marah sat on the other side of Shayne's bed and smiled at him. "Hey, bro...how are you feeling today?" she asked with a smile as Shayne smiled back. "I'll take that as a positive sign..."  
Allie leaned against the doorframe and smiled at Shayne too. "I can almost guarantee that in a couple weeks, you'll be talking again, man..." she sat in a chair across the room. "And then a couple more weeks after that, you'll be up and walking again."

Marina nodded in agreement. "And then it'll only be a matter of time before he's back playing baseball again. We talked about this with Tammy a couple minutes before you guys got here..." she picked a baseball up off of the table and put it in Shayne's hand. "He's already practicing pitches before he can even throw them. He's holding them and everything..." she laughed a little.  
Marah grinned and laughed. "He's destined to play baseball, it's as simple as that..." she leaned her chin on the bed and sighed. Shayne was doing a lot better, but there was still quite a ways to go.  
Allie glanced back outside again, her eyes falling on Sandy and a smile playing upon her lips. He was so gorgeous. It was almost as though she was destined to move to Springfield and see him in psych class that day. She turned her head quickly back to Shayne and flashed him a smile, too. "You know, maybe you could teach me some of the finer points of baseball, too. I really suck..." she laughed.

Shayne blinked once, signifying a yes answer. Then, Marina looked to her and grinned. "You'll be learning from the Cubs number one draft, man! Not to mention the best looking guy in the entire universe..." she winked and kissed Shayne on the cheek, causing a grin to spread across his face.  
Marah laughed and looked at Allie. "You know, you could at least find a guy that deserves your attention! I mean, Marina found Shayne! Don't waste your time on Sandy Foster!" she shook her head and rolled her eyes. "I mean, I found Tony, Marina found Shayne...keep looking! Don't stop just because you've found someone you think you like! You're not even sure yet, are you?" she asked.  
Allie glared at Marah, an angry look in her eyes, but before she could speak in Sandy's defense, Marina was already doing that for her. "Sandy seems like a really nice guy, Marah. You said yourself that he's one of the greatest guys you know..." she looked to Shayne, who was looking toward the computer on the table, urging Marina to move it in front of him, so he could type something to Marah.

After she did so, all three girls moved over to either side of Shayne to see what he was typing. Slowly, he moved around to the letters, 'Marah, you should accept sandy.' When he finished, he turned his glance in Marah's direction, to see her reaction. Allie looked to Shayne with a smile, then looked to Marah. "Shayne's right, Marah. I mean, he is your brother, you know?"  
Marah looked at Shayne, a sigh on her lips. "Shayne, I know you've accepted him and everything, but I don't know. I mean, he didn't keep it from you in the way he did from me. We were so close, and then he just came out with that one day?" she sighed.  
Marina interjected with her point of view. "I'd be overjoyed if Sandy came to me and said we were related in some way! Regardless of whether or not he kept it from me, for however long. He's a nice enough guy, you know? I mean, give him a break!" she flashed Marah a friendly smile.

Marah went silent. Apparently, what they had said was making Marah think. Allie grinned and looked at Shayne, giving him a slight thank you for the help in turning Marah's thoughts of Sandy around. _Shayne is an awesome person. Marina is lucky to have someone like him..._she thought as she glanced back through the window at Sandy, who was sitting alone now, waiting for someone to come out of Shayne's room. She figured, she'd see him in class anyway, so she looked at Shayne, smiled and waved a goodbye, then looked to Marina and Marah. "You guys, I'm gonna head out. I forgot my psych paper on the table at home, and I have to go get it before class. I'll see you later, right?" she looked at Marah. "Are you and Eden August still gonna hang out at my place tonight?" she asked.

Marah nodded and waved a goodbye to Allie. "Yeah, I'll call Eden to see if she's still coming. Let's hope she can part with Bill long enough to just come and hang out with her friends..." she joked.  
Allie laughed. "Yeah, I'll see you later, then..." she looked to Marina. "I'll call you later, okay? We can hang out tomorrow sometime...you need a little break from the hospital..." she flashed Marina a concerned glance.  
Marina nodded and looked at Shayne, who seemed to agree with Allie. "Shayne has been urging me to take a break too, so we can hang I guess. Later, Allie..."  
Allie waved and turned to leave, looking at Sandy as she saw him look up. "You can go in now, Sandy..." she grinned at him. "See you in psych later..." she waved at him as well.  
He waved back. "Later, Allie..." he watched her leave, then turned to go into Shayne's room.


	4. Chapter Three

Chapter Three

Sandy exited the Lewis Oil office and started toward the radio station to do his taping session for the day. He had to get up the courage as himself to call Allie as the Mole. Not only to ask her out, but to thank her for having a part in convincing Marah to allow him into her life a little bit. He asked Tammy Winslow for the number to the Spaulding mansion as he saw her leaving the hospital, told her why, and she automatically agreed. That was one step he didn't have to worry about. Now, as he drove toward the station, he was repeating over and over in his head all of the possible ways to ask her out. Going into the Mole's voice, which was deeper and more confident than his own, he practiced. "And now, we have on the phone, the sultry, hot and sexy siren, Allie Spaulding! _Hello_ there Allie, and welcome to Sandy and the Mole!" he paused, pretending that Allie was replying to him, giving enough time for her to say, 'Thank you Mole. Hello, guys. I'm glad to be here.'

He stopped. He felt stupid talking to himself...or, talking to nothing--talking to thin air. At least when he was on the air, he was talking to a puppet. Now, he was talking to an imaginary voice. He shook his head, pulled into the station parking lot and went inside, carrying the plastic bag that he kept the Mole in. He'd just wing it. He wasn't being himself. He was being the Mole, doing himself a favor. He pushed the door open, reached into the plastic bag, pulled the Mole out and set him on the table beside him. "Moley..." he looked to the puppet, a shy look on his face, even thinking about what he was going to do. "You haven't failed me yet when it came to helping me out of a rough situation, don't start now, man. When I call Allie, you have to bring all the interesting words and phrases out of me, okay?" he asked the puppet. The puppet just stared back at him, his button eyes glimmering in the dim light in the room. 

Sandy sighed and put the headphones on, since there were twenty seconds left until he went on the air. "Please, don't fail my, Moley old buddy. I'm begging you! She's more of a Mole girl anyway..." he cleared his throat and lowered his voice a little, preparing to do the Mole's voice. "Good evening, Springfield, and welcome to Sandy and the Mole. Tonight, I have a special surprise planned for good old Sandy here. Since the rest of his week has been one bomb after another, I decided that I might try to shed some light on his life..." he explained, before changing his voice back to normal. "I get the feeling I'm going to want to kill you for this, Moley..." he deepened his voice again, then spoke. "Let's just say, all things Spaulding may want to keep their phones on the hook until the Mole graces them with his presence..." he gave off a grin at the fact that he'd sort of inconspicuously told Allie that he was calling her. He wondered if she was ever listening.

~~

Allie glanced at Eden, wondering what she was doing. "Hey, don't spaz, man. James doesn't need to be babied that much anymore, I mean, he is almost one..." she referred to the fact that Eden was sacking her baby brother around like a bag of potatoes.   
Eden August laughed, setting the baby back in his bassinet. "Sorry, Allie. I just thought he may want to be held for a little while. So, anyway...what are we going to do tonight, girls? We're all over twenty one...wanna go out to a club or something?" she asked with a grin.  
Marah shook her head and shrugged. "When I saw Sandy at the hospital earlier, he told me to be sure that if we left the house tonight, there was a radio on, so I think he's going to have a special message on his show for one of us or something..." she explained. "He doesn't know that you know, either...so, don't tell him."  
Eden raised an eyebrow. "Know what?" she asked, wondering what Marah and Allie were talking about.

Allie raised an eyebrow, ignoring Eden. "Really? You didn't tell me that...it looks like we're hanging out here, guys. Do you want me to call anyone else to come over?" she turned her attention to Eden, who looked thoroughly bored already. "I mean, I can call Bill and see if he wants to come hang out or something..."  
Eden shook her head and rolled her eyes. "I don't see why you'd want to sit around waiting for that no good piece of trash. He has nothing good to say about anyone anyway...or, at least his buddy the Mole doesn't..." she sat on the couch in the Spaulding mansion living room, as Allie turned the radio on, and they listened to the last song before Sandy and the Mole.  
Marah sat down in a chair and took a drink from her Pepsi Vanilla that Allie had just brought from the kitchen. "Eden, Sandy is my brother..." she paused after saying the word brother. "And...that sounds really weird when I'm talking about anyone other than Shayne..."

Allie sat down beside Eden on the couch. "Sandy is an awesome person, Eden. I may not know him all too well, but I've talked to him a couple times in psych class, and he seems really genuine and really sweet. I'm a good judge of character, and Sandy seems really sweet..."  
Eden shrugged and looked over to Marah. "So, how is the fight with Tony working out? Like, did you talk to him or, are you guys still on the outs?" she asked, and Allie noticed a bit of nervousness in her demeanor for some reason or another. "Because I really think you two need to work it out..."  
Marah nodded and smiled. "Everything is fine between Tony and I. He's coming back and we're gonna start over from where we were before everything went bad. We're gonna move back into the museum together and stuff. He was so glad when I called him. All it took was a little convincing from Allie to get me to do it, too..." she bit her lower lip and flashed Allie a thankful look.

Eden grinned, the nervousness fading away. Allie noticed that right away, and immediately, she thought of what was up. Eden and Tony had done something to hurt Marah. Knowing Eden August, it had something to do with sex, too. She ignored her impulse and looked over to Marah, seeing the completely oblivious look on her face. "Oh, guys! The show is starting!" she sat back and listened as 'the Mole's' voice came out of the radio.

"Good evening, Springfield, and welcome to Sandy and the Mole..." as 'the Mole's' voice filled the room, Marah and Allie exchanged knowing glances, leaving Eden completely in the dark. "Tonight, I have a special surprise planned for good old Sandy here. Since the rest of his week has been one bomb after another, I decided that I might try to shed some light on his life..." 'the Mole' spoke.  
"I get the feeling I'm going to want to kill you for this, Moley..." Sandy's voice came through the speakers, bringing an immediate smile to Allie's face.   
'The Mole's' voice came back again. "Let's just say, all things Spaulding may want to keep their phones on the hook until the Mole graces them with his presence..." he paused. "But for now, we'll grace you with the voice that makes all the women scream and swoon..."  
Sandy's voice returned. "This is John Mayer, 'Your Body is a Wonderland,'" he spoke, then the room was filled with the sound of John Mayer's voice, and Sandy and the Mole both disappeared temporarily. 

Allie looked to Marah and smiled. "All things Spaulding? Oh man..." she laughed a little. "Let me get the phone from Thomas, so I can answer it myself--or at least one of us can..." she got up and rushed out of the room. "Oh..." she turned back for a second. "Do you guys want something to drink or to eat or whatever?" she asked.  
Eden and Marah both shook their heads. "We're okay, thanks..." Marah smiled and watched as Allie rushed back out the door and down the hall. "She's got it bad for Sandy..." she turned to Eden and laughed a little. "Ever since I met her, though, I thought they'd be good together..." she grinned and tapped her foot along with the song. "I mean, they're both good people and they seem to have a lot in common..."  
Eden shrugged and half-smiled. "I don't know. The Mole has said a lot of stuff about me that...hasn't been all too great. I mean, Allie is cool and all, and I know she deserves to be happy, but I think she could do so without the likes of Sandy Foster..." she sighed a little.

Allie came back into the room, carrying a cordless phone in her hand. "I snuck into Lizzie's bedroom when she was in the bathroom and shut her phone off, so she couldn't pick up. Knowing her, she'd ruin whatever they're doing," she shrugged and sat back in her seat, taking a slight breather.  
Marah laughed and took a drink of her soda. "Hmm, I wonder what you're so nervous about, Allie. I mean, he's only calling! Maybe he just wants an interview. Maybe he wants an interview with Lizzie!" she joked, looking to Allie and receiving an angry glare. "I'm just kidding, Allie..."  
Eden's face turned to complete disgust. "Oh God! Allie, you like Sandy Foster!" her jaw dropped. "That is...SO gross! He's so weird! And he's a--" she stopped, noticing the looks that both Allie and Marah were giving her. "I mean, I'm sorry, Marah, I know he's your brother, but that's just...I mean, Allie can do so much better! She's a SPAULDING! She could get any man she wanted!"

Allie rolled her eyes, ignoring Eden, as Sandy's voice came back through the radio. "So, Moley, what's this plan you have for the Spauldings?" he asked with a slight twinge of nervousness in his voice.  
'The Mole's' voice came through, and even he sounded nervous. "Well, Sandy old buddy, I noticed that you've been spending a little time with angelic Allie Spaulding. Now, she's not only as hot as the Sahara, but she's a really good person, so my plan is...I'm going to give her a call, and we'll have a little talk..."  
Sandy's voice came back, seemingly a lot more nervous. "Oh...no, you can't! Come on, man! You don't even have the number!" he yelled a little.  
'The Mole' came back through, with a little laugh. "Actually, yes, I do. I talked to Tammy Winslow, a friend of Whack-job Lizzie Spaulding, and she gave it to me..." he explained. "So, let's take this little phone over here and dial up the numbers..." he stopped talking, and Allie heard the phone ring.

Allie's eyes widened, and a smile crossed her face. She wondered what they wanted to call her for, but rather than spend too much time thinking about that, she rushed to the phone and picked it up. "Hello, Spaulding residence, Allie speaking..." she acted nonchalant, then flashed Marah a toothy smile.  
"Well, if it isn't the sultry Allie Spaulding. You're on the air at WSPF with Sandy and the Mole..." 'the Mole's' low voice came through the phone, and Allie's eyes lit up.  
She finally spoke up. "Hey...I assume this is the Mole..." she laughed a little. "I'm a huge fan..." she grinned, sitting back in her chair, watching as Marah beamed at her, and ignoring Eden's callous glance.  
'The Mole' laughed a little, then continued talking. "Well, it's nice to know that at least one person in the Spaulding family has good taste..." he joked. "You're not all stuck up."  
Sandy interjected, trying to make it look like they were two different people, although Allie knew the truth, thanks to Marah. "So, what's it like living in the Spaulding mansion, anyway?" he asked. "Is it as great as the Springfield population likes to think that it is?"

Allie laughed and shook her head. "No, it's not, Sandy. You know all the rumors you hear about how everyone in here is a whack-job, and they all need to rent new personalities?" she asked, sounding very Mole-esque in her demeanor. "They're all true..." she half-smiled.  
'The Mole' laughed and she could hear in his voice that there was a slight grin on his face. "Ah...I see. I thought you were going to defend them, since they're your family and all..." he told her.  
Allie let out a loud laugh. "HA!" she rolled her eyes. "The Spauldings...suck--simple as that. So, did you call me to get an interview or something?" she asked him.  
'The Mole' let out a laugh like Allie's, only a lot softer. "Ha...no. Well, here's the deal. I've seen you talking with my old pal Sandy here, a couple times..." he explained. "And, you seem like just the kind of person to get him out of his slump of a week..."  
Sandy interjected once again, trying to defend himself against 'himself.' "Moley! SHUT UP, I can handle my own social life!" he yelled.  
'The Mole' finished his sentence. "Or...lack thereof..."

As Sandy scoffed, Allie sounded interested. "It's okay, Sandy...let him continue..." she looked over to Marah, who was stifling a laugh. "I'm pretty interested to hear what he's got to say..." she explained, stifling a laugh of her own. She looked to Eden, who was looking back and forth between the two of them, wondering what was so funny. "Keep going, Mole..."  
'The Mole' sounded like he had a grin in his voice. "Well, you know about the New Year's Party at the Beacon this tomorrow, right?" he asked Allie.  
Allie thought for a second. She planned on going whether she had a date or not, but going with Sandy would be a definite plus. "Um, yeah..." she paused. "Why do you ask?" she asked, curious.  
'The Mole' continued with his plan. "Well, Sandy has enough money to get himself and a date in. The only problem is...he lacks a date to bring along. So, here's where the Mole's ingenious mind comes in. Although you live in the Spaulding mansion, he figured that it might be nice for you not to have to pay for things...so, my dear friend Sandy here was figuring, you could accompany him to the New Year's Party..." 

Allie's smile could have spread across the Nile River. "Well, if Sandy is so keen on taking me to the Gala, why doesn't he ask me himself?" she asked. "Or, is it really you that wants to take me, Mole?"  
'The Mole' paused for a second. "Well, I, in all my Mole glory, am much bolder than Sandy is...so, he asked for me to ask you. But, if you insist, I can coerce Sandy into asking you himself...Sandy?" he threw the attention to Sandy's direction. "You wanna ask Allie something?"  
Sandy cleared his throat nervously. "Allie, if you're not doing anything tomorrow...do you want to go to the New Year's Eve Party with me?" he asked.  
Allie looked at Marah again, an ecstatic look on her face. She was about to scream with joy, but she had to wait until she got off the phone first. "I'd love to, Sandy. Pick me up at seven-thirty?" she asked him.  
Sandy nodded, then realized that he was on the phone, so he had to speak. "Okay. Seven-thirty it is...thanks, Allie. I'll see you tomorrow night. And thanks, Moley..."


	5. Chapter Four

Author's Note: Gotta make a correction. I just found out that Sandy's last name os Foster. Whoops...time to go back and edit! LOL!

Chapter Four

Allie walked out of her bathroom and looked at Marah. "What do you think?" she spun around. She had on a long, golden-yellow, spaghetti-strap dress with black lace jacket over it. Marah had just put lace on the bottom of her elbow-length black gloves, and cut off the sleeves to her lace jacket, so it was now spaghetti-strap, too, and sewed it onto her dress. The only thing not ready at that point was Allie's hair, and all she had to do was take it out of the ponytail it was in, and let the curls fall down to her back. "How do I look, Mar?" she asked.  
Marah smiled and nodded. "Oh my gosh, Allie! You look great. But if you don't mind, I have to go. I have to get ready before Tony gets back from Danny's. He's gonna be there at seven-thirty, too, so I'll see you at the party at eight, okay?" she asked, standing up and going over to hug Allie. "Don't be nervous. You're gonna knock him right off his feet. I talked to him a little bit ago, and he's so nervous..."

Allie laughed and shook her head. "He's nervous? HE is nervous? How could Sandy be nervous about me? It's just me! I mean..." she took her hair down and let the curls fall over her shoulders and down her back a little ways. "I mean, sure, I'm nervous, but I was fine earlier when it was all four of us. Then when Eden left, I started to realize that it was getting closer. Then when Michelle left, it struck me again...and now that you're leaving...Mar, I'm so nervous," she laughed a little bit.  
Marah stood up and walked up to Allie. "Relax, Allie. Sandy obviously likes you, and for good reason. You'll be fine. I mean, I was so nervous when I first started seeing Tony, but look at me now...he and I are more comfortable around each other than we are around ourselves..." she laughed a little. "Trust me, Allie. You'll be fine, and if, by some strange twist of fate, you're not than I give you full right to blame me and hate me forever, okay?" she joked with Allie, trying to calm her down.

Allie hugged Marah and smiled a little. "I wouldn't hate you...just not talk to you for a couple years..." she joked. "I mean, how could I hate the first person in Springfield that befriended me?" she asked with a slight grin. "You and Marina are my Rocks of Gibraltar. I just wish there was some way we could get Shayne to the Beacon, so Marina would come with us...she needs a break from that hospital..."  
Marah sighed and hugged Allie back. "I know she does..." she released Allie from the hug. "But she loves Shayne so much. I mean, he needs her, as much as he wants her to have a life of her own, I don't think he'd be progressing as well if she wasn't there with him so much. You know what I mean?" she asked, as they walked to the front door together, passing by Lizzie's room on the way. "As long as we support her and go visit them in the hospital a few times a week, I'm sure Marina will be fine..."

Allie nodded and smiled as they passed by her mother in the hallway. "Yeah, I guess..." she turned her attention from Marah to Beth. "Hey...mom..." she was still getting used to calling Beth her mother. "Are you going to the party at the Beacon that Cassie Winslow is throwing?" she asked curiously, hoping she wouldn't be going, so that she wouldn't get twenty questions about Sandy. She hoped that it was just a coincidence that Beth was dressed up--maybe that she had a date or something.  
Beth looked at Allie and smiled a little. "Yes. I'm going with Jeffrey O' Neill. Why, honey?" she asked with a sweet, motherly smile. "You're going?" she looked over Allie's dress and smiled. "I'm glad you're finally socializing. Who are you going with?" she looked from Allie to Marah. "I'm sure you and Tony are going together, right?"  
Marah nodded and smiled. "Yes, we are. And Allie is going with my half brother, Sandy Foster..." she looked over to Allie, to see the look on her face. Apparently, she was far from thrilled that Marah had told Beth. "But...I have to get going. I'll see you both in a little while."

Beth looked to Allie and smiled a little. "Well, I'll just have to meet this Sandy Foster when we get there, won't I?" she grinned. "When's he getting here?"  
Allie sighed and looked back to see Lizzie coming out of her bedroom in her dress for the party. _Oh God...Lizzie is going. I should have expected, her being Tammy's best friend and all... We'll just have to avoid her at all costs, that's all,_ she looked back to Beth. "Uh, seven thirty..."  
Beth smiled and nodded, walking on into the living room and closing the door behind her. That made Allie's night. She just prayed that her father wasn't going, too. That would make matters a hundred-million times worse. _My first date in Springfield and my PARENTS are going to be there..._she huffed out a sigh.  
Lizzie came up to Allie. "So, Sandy Foster from Sandy and the Mole, huh? It's all over town that the Mole set up a date between you two on the air..." she rolled her eyes. "Poor pathetic Sandy couldn't get a date and called up the most pathetically single girl in Springfield to go to the New Year's party with him?" she laughed a little. "I'm going with Tammy's ex, Joey Luppo..." she pushed some of her hair behind her ear. "At least I've got an attractive guy!"

Allie nodded and faked a smile. _Just great...chances are dad is going with Olivia Spencer...but Olivia is cool, and she won't spaz out over me being there with Sandy. Why couldn't she have been my mom? _She asked herself. _She'd never date a district attorney. _She realized that Lizzie was still babbling on and insulting Sandy, but then she looked out the front door and saw headlights coming through the Spaulding gates. "Well, it's been nice talking to you, Lizzie, but Sandy is here, so I have to go..." she grabbed her coat from the coat rack, when her father came around the corner and looked at his daughters. _Oh...great...just what I need._

Philip looked at the door, and watched Allie prepare to leave. "Let him come in, Allie. I want to meet your date. I heard you telling Marah you were going to the party with...Sandy Foster?" he asked, standing between Allie and the door. "Why don't you go sit down and I'll bring him in to you..."  
Allie scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Dad, I'm twenty years old!" she yelled as she looked at Lizzie, who was grinning triumphantly. "I don't need a scanner on my dates. I think I know who's a good person and who's not, thanks..." she crossed her arms at her chest and huffed out a sigh.  
Philip looked at her and pointed to the living room as the doorbell rang. "Allie, go sit on the couch. I'll answer it. You too, Lizzie. It could be Joey..." he directed to his daughters. "I'll bring either one in. Your grandfather and I only want to talk to them..."

~~

Sandy buttoned the top button on his gray button up shirt. He hated not being able to dress too fancy for Allie, but he didn't have much for fancy clothes. He was already pressed for time, anyway...he had to go pick Allie up in five minutes...but he wanted everything to be perfect, and he needed a little bit of extra time after he was dressed to be sure he had everything ready. He had the red rose that he was going to give her, he took a shower, he put on his cologne...he was ready. Was he ready? He had never met a girl like Allie in his life. Allie was real, Allie was sweet--add it all up and Allie was way too good for him. _You can do this, Foster. You asked her out, she said yes...you can handle it. She is way too nice to stand up, anyway. Not that you ever would..._he straightened the collar of his shirt and pulled the bottom down. _I look okay...I guess..._he combed his hair and took one more look in the mirror. It would have to do.

He wondered what Allie would be wearing. She could afford any dress in the known world, so whatever it was, it was going to be amazing. Even if she showed up in a potato sack, it'd be amazing. But, the fact remained, that Allie was a Spaulding, so chances are she was going to go with a beautiful dress that would make Sandy feel like he didn't deserve to be there with her. He wondered if Marah was with her at the Spaulding mansion, helping her perfect her already flawless look. Girls always got ready for parties or dances in groups of at least three anyway. It was probably she, Marah, Eden August and Michelle Santos. Marina wasn't going because Shayne wasn't going, or else she'd be thrown in that little group. 

He imagined himself, Tony Santos, Bill Lewis and Danny Santos all getting ready for the party together. He laughed a little. Tony, Danny and he would be at each other's throats, Bill would be...well, Bill was a nice guy, so Bill would be cool with everything. No, it was definitely a plus that guys never prepared for parties together the way girls did. Marah was probably putting all the finishing touches on Allie's dress, since he'd seen hers earlier that day, and it was all ready. Tony was going to be swept away, that was for sure. Sandy could tell already that he was going to be knocked off his feet. He looked down at himself, knowing that it would definitely look like they were Beauty and the Beast dancing together. 

He froze. Dancing. He'd never thought of that. He was a horrible dancer. He'd never really slow danced before, since the girls never asked him to, and he was too scared to ask them. He hoped that Allie was a horrible dancer too. Maybe she wouldn't make him dance. Who was he kidding? Allie was probably a fantastic dancer. She could probably teach him in a couple seconds how to slow dance. He sighed as he saw looked at the clock. It was seven twenty-five already? He grabbed his wallet, put it in his back pocket, picked the rose up off the table, locked the door on his way out and rushed to his car, the bitter winter air biting at his face. "One small step for man, one giant leap for Sandy..." he told himself as he got into his car and started it.

~~

This was the closest that Sandy had ever been to the Spaulding mansion, and it wasn't that bad of a place. He pulled up to the gate and looked at the gatekeeper. He flashed a smile and rolled his window down. "Hi, I'm Sandy Foster, and I'm here to pick Allie up for the New Years party tonight..." he explained to the gatekeeper, and smiled as he opened the gate. His nervousness doubled when he got closer to the mansion. It was even bigger from close up. He sighed, got out of his car and breathed in a deep, cleansing breath. "You can do it, Foster. Let's go..." he walked up to the front door and rang the doorbell. Rather than be met by Allie, which he would have much preferred, he was face-to-face with Philip Spaulding. "Good evening, Mr. Spaulding. I'm Sandy Foster, I'm here to pick Allie up for the New Years party?"

Philip looked at Sandy, a slight smile on his face. "Come on in, she's in the living room. We can talk for a couple minutes...unless you're in a huge rush..." he led Sandy to the living room, where Allie sat across from Lizzie, and Alan sat at his desk, going over papers. "Dad, Allie's date is here..."  
Alan lifted his head and looked back. "Oh, right. Hello...what's your name again? Allie told me, but..." he held his hand out for Sandy to shake.  
Sandy shook his hand and smiled politely. "I'm Sandy Foster, sir..." he introduced himself to Alan Spaulding, who flashed him a smile. "Nice to meet you..."  
Alan nodded his head a little. "You're taking Allie to the New Years party...so presumably, you'll be back after midnight. Am I right?" he asked.

Allie shook her head and looked at the floor. _God, they want to ruin me. Come on dad and grandpa! Just let us go, please! _She blushed beet red and looked up, catching Sandy's eye. "Yes, we'll be back kind of late, grandpa Alan. Aren't you coming?" she asked.  
He shook his head no. "No, not this year. There's just too much to do. I'm sorry, Alisha..." he looked at Philip. "But you're going with Olivia, so why not let Alisha and Sandy be on their way?" he asked with a smile, making Allie cringe by saying her full first name.  
After the first name anger set in, Allie looked confused. This was very uncharacteristic of her grandpa Alan, but she was glad for once. "Really, dad. We'll be fine for the half-hour or so that you can't watch us out of the corner of your eye. Sandy won't hurt me, I don't think..." she winked at Sandy.  
Sandy shook his head and smiled at Allie. "I wouldn't dream of it..." he turned his attention back to Philip and Alan, hoping they would just let them go.

Lizzie scoffed and rolled her eyes. "God, you guys are so cheesy!" she stood up and left the room. "At least when Joey and I go out, we get straight to the kissing and don't go through the formalities of being all sweet and mushy with each other..." she huffed out as the door to her room slammed.  
Allie rolled her eyes at Lizzie and hoped that she and Sandy could get out before Beth and Lillian came into the room and started to grill him as well. "So, dad, grandpa Alan, can we just go now, please?" she pleaded.  
Alan nodded and Philip hesitantly nodded, too. "Yes, you can go. But be good, okay?" Philip asked, flashing Allie a pleading glance. "I mean...have fun, but be good, still."  
Sandy nodded and looked at Philip. "It's only the first date, Mr. Spaulding. I wouldn't try to do anything with Allie on the first date. Not until we know each other well enough..."

Allie almost melted. Sandy was such a gentleman! She stood up and kissed her father and grandfather on the cheeks and smiled. "Bye, grandpa Alan. See you later, dad..." she took Sandy's arm and looked at him. "Ready to go yet?" she asked with a grin ash she grabbed her coat from the coat rack and put it on her shoulders.  
Sandy nodded and linked his arm with Allie's. "Ready as I'll ever be..." he shrugged and walked her out the door, to his car, opening the passenger's side for Allie. "Ready, but nervous nonetheless..." he whispered after he shut the door. "What a combo..." he walked around the car and got in.

Allie got a good look at Sandy for the first time as he walked around the car. He looked amazing. He was wearing a gray button-up t-shirt and black, baggy jeans...nothing too fancy, but he still looked amazing. His hair was combed perfectly, and she noticed as she walked out of the house with him--he smelled amazing. She was going to be the envy of the party...and if she wasn't, all the other women in Springfield were insane. Sandy was perfect, and nothing would tell her otherwise...


	6. Chapter Five

Chapter Five

Allie shook her head and looked at Sandy. "No, I really don't think Lizzie's problem is Olivia, actually. I think she has attachment problems, really. Now she's out to get me, too. So, really, I just think it's the fact that she's afraid of people, in general, taking away the ones she loves..." she explained as she looked around the Beacon's dining hall. Cassie, Tammy, Edmund Winslow, and Nico Castaño had done a great job decorating the place. Bright, opalescent streamers hung from the rafters, while a giant banner reading 'Happy New Year -- 2004' hung on the wall. She smiled as she saw Cassie walk out of the back room.  
Sandy looked at Allie, then realizing just how smart she was. "Yeah, but she doesn't realize that Philip and Beth would take on an army of a million if she was in danger..." he shrugged and took a look around the room himself. It was impressive. "I mean, I'm sure they'd do just about anything for her..."

Allie nodded as Cassie looked over in their direction, and walked over to welcome them. "Yeah, I know for a fact that they would..." she shrugged and smiled as Cassie got closer. "She's just got a lot of insecurities, and she needs to work through them. Hey, Cassie! The place looks amazing!" she directed to Cassie as she finally got to them. "I mean, this is completely gorgeous. And I LOVE that dress!"  
Cassie looked down at her dress and flashed Allie a grin. "Thanks. Edmund got it for me. You look fantastic, Allie. You do too, Sandy," she smiled, recognizing Sandy from conversations with Marah and Reva. She was still getting used to the fact that he was her nephew, though.  
Sandy smiled politely at her and blushed a little. "Thanks, Cassie..." he debated whether or not to correct himself, and call her Aunt Cassie. "...Aunt Cassie," he grinned. He still had to get used to the fact that he actually had a good family, who all cared about each other.

Cassie grinned back and looked back to Allie. "Allie, where'd you get that dress from?" she asked, looking Allie over and smiling at her dress. "I've never seen a dress like that. Who's the designer?" she lifted up a little of the lace from the bottom, admiring the design.  
Allie grinned and shrugged. "Partially Adrian King, partially Marah Lewis. The lace was originally an overcoat, but Marah sewed it into the dress and put the studs on the bottom of the gloves. I love it..." she looked at Sandy, who looked thoroughly bored with all of the girl talk.  
Cassie looked at Sandy as well, and laughed a little bit. "I won't keep you for too much longer, though. You guys have a good time, and be good...set an example for the younger kids..." she joked. "We'll talk tomorrow, okay, Allie?" she turned to Tammy, who was talking to Nico about something or another.

Sandy looked at Allie. "Cassie looks really good. Hey, I wonder what Marah is going to be wearing when she gets here..." he shrugged and looked at the door, just in time to see Reva and Josh enter the hall together, and see him arm in arm with Allie. _Wonder what Reva is gonna think of me being here with a Spaulding..._he thought to himself. _Who cares? If the Spaulding is actually a normal human being, why not date her? _He asked, flashing a smile and a wave in his mother's direction. _Plus, she's Marah's best friend, so obviously Reva likes her.  
_Allie looked at Sandy, and saw that he was looking at the door. "Oh!" she smiled and waved at Reva. "Hey Reva, hey Josh!" she walked over to them, still arm in arm with Sandy. "What's up?"  
Reva raised an eyebrow at her son with Allie. "Oh, you came together?" she asked, grinning a little. She'd never been a fan of many Spauldings, but Allie was charming, sweet and a good friend to Marah, so she'd taken a liking to her. "Allie, you look sensational!"

Allie smiled and looked down at her dress. "Thanks! Marah put a couple of finishing touches on it. She's awesome with a needle and thread!" she nodded, lifting the lace and showing Reva what Marah did. "She sewed this on, and cut it to fit and everything. So, Reva...how is Shayne doing, anyway? I went to see him yesterday and I was going to go today, too, but Marina said that he was sleeping."  
Reva nodded and shrugged, a smile crossing both she and Josh's face. "He moved his arms today. Marina was in there with him, and she said that he hugged her..." she looked to Josh.  
Josh nodded and looked over to Sandy. "He was typing, too, and he said to wish you good luck on your date...with her," he pointed to Allie. "So, good luck, although we're here..."  
Sandy blushed and looked away from Allie for a second. "Thanks, Josh..." he pushed the redness from his face and turned his head back in the direction Reva, Josh and Allie were standing, just in time to see Reva and Josh walk away.

Allie grinned and laughed a little. "Sandy, are you nervous?" she asked, as she looked to the door. Her face went somber. In walked Lizzie, with Joey Luppo, and apparently, Lizzie had changed since they'd left the house, because now, she was dressed as slutty as she could possibly be, without getting thrown out of the party. _Because I'm nervous now..._she looked at her younger sister, who was giving the evil eye in her direction the whole time as she walked in. Then, she remembered what she'd just said, and saved her dignity a little bit. "Because you look it..." she flashed him a slight grin.  
Sandy had been watching as Lizzie and Joey entered, and saw the reaction on Allie's face. "Nah, I'm not nervous. I mean, it's not like this will determine every little thing about my future..." he shrugged in explanation. "I mean, maybe this will determine what I do tomorrow..." he grinned a little, flashing a subtle wink in her direction. "But that's about it, really..."

She laughed and looked to the drink table, to see Lizzie and Tammy talking, while Nico and Joey glared at each other. At least someone else, other than she and Sandy, at the party saw how much trouble Lizzie and Joey were. It was amazing that they weren't locked away together. Who knew what damage they could have caused? There were very few people in Springfield that Allie didn't trust, and one of them was her own sister, one was Joey and the other was supposed to be Marah's close friend. She didn't trust Eden August as far as she could throw her. Something about her just made Allie nervous. Marah trusted her, but Allie had been burned so many times before, so when she saw someone who made her as uneasy as Eden did, her guard just flew up.

Sandy noticed the insecurity in Allie's eyes. "Allie, is everything okay? Do you want to just leave or something?" he looked to the door, to see Marah and Tony walk in, right ahead of Michelle and Danny Santos.  
Allie shrugged and turned her head in the direction Sandy was looking. "Nah. Marah and Michelle are here, so I'll be okay. If Lizzie tries anything insane, at least I know that I have Marah, Michelle, Tony, Danny and you on my side..." she winked at Sandy, giving off a slight grin.  
He returned her laugh and nodded. "Yeah, if Tony and Danny haven't killed me yet, anyway..." he joked, as Marah and Michelle practically dragged Tony and Danny in their direction.  
Allie looked Marah over and let off a huge smile. "Marah! You look AMAZING! I mean...wow!" she looked at Marah's short, blue dress, blue lace-up shoes and diamond studded headband. "You too Michelle!" she looked to Michelle, who was in a long, black dress and black heels.

Michelle grinned and nodded a 'thanks' to Allie. "Thanks Allie. You look fantastic, too. Marah told me that she helped you put that together. She worked on mine too..." she pointed at her dress and looked across the room at Lizzie. "Oh my Gosh! What is she wearing..." she looked horrified at the fact that Philip would allow Lizzie out of the house in that dress.  
Marah interjected and raised an eyebrow at Lizzie. "Or...not wearing. That girl is kind of touched in the head. Uh, Allie, what's your dad doing about her?" she asked, shaking her head and looking to Tony, who was simply standing a couple feet away, talking to Danny.  
Allie shrugged and sighed, taking notice of the fact that Tony and Danny were ignoring Sandy and pretending that he wasn't even there. "Who knows? It's like he's too oblivious to see that his perfect little angel might not be as perfect as he thought she was!" she shook her head and looked at the door, just in time to see her mother and Jeffrey O'Neill walk in right in front of her father and Olivia Spencer.

Sandy felt as out of place as a left sock with no partner. He sighed, looked to Allie, then to Philip and Beth. He was there with their daughter...who was possibly the most popular girl in Springfield. He felt like he was in high school again, and he was at the prom with the most popular girl at school, although he didn't even go to his high school prom. He sighed and looked over at Allie, who looked in his direction and obviously sensed his sudden feeling of being left out. He watched her as she said her last couple words to Marah and Michelle, and then walked back over to him and put her arm in his. "You didn't have to do that, you know?" he grinned a little.

She shrugged and looked up into his blue eyes, almost drowning. "Of course I did," she paused, giving off a gentle grin. "I came here to hang out with you, not Marah and Michelle..." her grin remained as she turned to look into his eyes. "What do you say we make this party a party, and start dancing?" she asked, listening to the music and hearing the first slow song of the night come on.  
He got slightly nervous, bit his lower lip and laughed a little. "Um, I don't dance..." he shook his head slightly. "I've never quite been a dancing person..." he watched Allie's reaction.  
She could tell that this was all a cover up. "Sandy...you don't know how to dance, do you?" she asked with a small smile. "You can tell me...I won't laugh, I promise..." she sat down at a table, watching him and waiting for him to sit down with her.

Sandy gave off a nervous smile and shook his head, not at all planning to sit down. "No, I never learned how to dance. I never had a reason to, really. I never went to any of the school dances or anything, so I kind of kept away from all of that. But...I can try, if you really want to dance," he shrugged and reached his hand down. "You'll just have to teach me, if you can handle it."  
Allie laughed and nodded, taking Sandy's hand and standing up. "Okay, come here..." she walked him to a secluded balcony, where they could be alone, so he didn't feel like an idiot. "You don't mind practicing alone, right? So you don't feel, you know..."  
Sandy got the drift. "...Like an idiot?" he asked with a grin. "Thanks Allie, I don't mind. Okay, now what, exactly am I supposed to do?" he asked, shrugging his shoulders.

Allie took his hands and put them on her hips. "It's not complicated at all. I've only just learned myself, really. I'll teach you the way grandpa Alan taught me a few months ago..." she put her hand on his right shoulder and took his left hand in her right. "Now, we just move around, along with the beat of the music, if you want to..." she smiled and looked at the confused look on his face. "See? Not that hard, huh?" she asked.  
Sandy shook his head and looked at her. "That's it? I always thought it took some kind of talent that I could never possess, or something like that!" he laughed and watched how gracefully Allie seemed to move. It was almost impossible to believe that she'd just learned to dance.  
She laughed a little and shook her head. "Nope. Maybe we should make, like, a training video for people like you, who are paranoid to dance. Dancing for the Self-Esteem Challenged; Starring Alisha Spaulding and Sandy Foster. We could make big bucks!" she winked and stared into his eyes a little more.

He laughed a little bit. "Right, we'd be the greatest dance instructors I the world. What, other than this, do you know, Allie?" he asked, joking with her a bit.  
She returned his laugh and shook her head. "Other than this, my slate about dancing is as blank as yours. What can I say? I...well, I haven't been a Spaulding for too long, just yet. I bet by the end of this year, I'll know all of the fancy ballroom dances...if grandpa Alan has his way, anyway..." she huffed out a fake laugh.  
He grinned and shrugged his shoulders. "You seem to be doing fine with just this dance. It's not like this is one of those big old fancy galas...man, if it was, I'd be screwed. I know...nothing whatsoever...about fancy dancing. I'd still know nothing about any dancing at all if it wasn't for you."  
She smiled coyly and stared deep into his eyes. "Hey, can I ask you a question and, if I do, will you promise to give me an honest answer?" she asked, wanting to ask about the Mole.

Sandy looked at her, curiously. He hoped that the question wasn't all too personal, but if anyone was to know anything about him, he supposed that Allie was the best person for the job. "Depending on what it's about, sure. What's up, Allie?" he asked with a slight smirk.  
Allie shrugged and sighed. "Marah told me something about you and your Mole-ish counterpart, and I'm not sure if I want to believe it just yet. Not until you tell me yourself, anyway..." she looked at him. "Are you and the Mole...one in the same?" she asked with a slight shrug.  
Sandy sighed. Marah wasn't supposed to tell anyone about that. But, since Allie deserved honesty, he bit his lower lip and nodded slightly. "Yeah. Moley is just a puppet. I do the voice on the air...which is why he never shows up at any of the functions that I'm at..." he shrugged.

She grinned and pursed her lips. "So...when it was the Mole asking me out...it was actually you?" she asked with a slight twinge of embarrassment in her voice. "I'm flattered...but, why did you have the Mole ask me, rather than just being good old Sandy? I like you better..."  
He let off a slight grin. Allie was taking this far better than he thought she would. "I don't know. Moley does all of the bolder stuff for me. I only wished that I could have brought him along with me for that billboard thing. Did Marah tell you about that?" he asked her.  
She nodded and smiled a little. "You see? You can be bold! I think you need to come out of your shell a little more often. I mean, you're a great guy, Sandy. I've never understood why the great guys are always nervous about everything and the jerks think they're God's gift to the Earth..." she rolled her eyes.

He laughed and shrugged. "Maybe you'll be the one to bring me out of my shell, Allie..." he thought aloud. Once it sank in that he'd actually spoke what he was thinking, his cheeks turned a deep crimson and he turned his face from Allie's. "I'm...so sorry..." he fumbled with his words.  
She shook her head, released his hand, moved her hand from his shoulder and turned his face back to hers. "Don't be sorry. I'd be honored to help you come out of your shell. You don't need to be 'shy Sandy' around me. You can be a little Mole-ish. You just need a little confidence..." she told him.  
He sighed and nodded in reply. "I've always had confidence issues. The ones that are supposed to fade after high school...didn't for me. They only got worse..." he explained. He couldn't believe what he was doing. He was talking to someone that he barely knew...but the best part was, she wasn't judging him. Something told him that his friendship with Allie Spaulding was going to be the best he'd ever have.


	7. Chapter Six

Chapter Six

Sitting on the balcony at the Beacon, Allie listened attentively as Sandy opened his soul to her. She couldn't believe that she'd given him the comfort to speak this openly on their first date, but that had to be a good sign. A frown on her lips, as Sandy spoke of not knowing his mother until he moved to Springfield, she reached across the table and touched his cheek gently, brushing off a small tear. She felt connected to him all of a sudden, especially now that she'd seen him cry in front of her. Most men wouldn't cry in front of anyone, but Sandy was opening himself like a book to Allie, and all that it took was a little concern. That showed Allie that Sandy had really had it rough in life (along with the fact that pouring it all out took three and a half hours). A lot rougher than most people did. 

She placed her hand on his cheek and looked into his eyes, her kind expression unwavering. Sandy had been through so much. He told her about his father abusing him when he was a child, the fact that he had no friends...all of the reasons that the Mole came into his life, and became his best friend for a long time. She breathed in a deep sigh, exhaled slightly, and walked around the table and wrapping her arms around the tearful Sandy in a caring hug. "It's okay. That's all over now, and I'm here. I'm always available when you need a friend, okay?" she asked, caressing his hair gently.  
Sandy hugged her back, smiling a little, though all his tears. "That means a lot, Allie. Just to know that someone cares makes me feel so much better..." he told her gently. "I appreciate the fact that you listen to me. No one else even takes the time to do that. You're an amazing friend..."  
She flashed him a sweet grin and kept eye contact solid. "Thanks. I learn it all from Marah...you know, Marah is the best of the best..." she laughed a little. "She's like a sister to me..."

He nodded and wiped his eyes, flashing a grin. "She is a sister to me. I mean, it didn't start well, but I guess I could have told her a lot sooner, you know?" he confessed to the one oversight he had with Marah.  
She nodded in agreement and shrugged a little bit. "Yeah. I wasn't really supposed to say anything about this...but she told me that until she found out you guys were related, she kind of had a thing for you..." she explained, watching as his eyes widened a little.  
He looked utterly shocked, then grinned slightly. "Actually, I shouldn't act surprised. I kind of sensed it when she tried to get close to me. Of course, she's over that now, right?" he laughed a little.  
Allie laughed and shrugged, nodding a little. "I hope so. I don't think Mar is that twisted. And if she is...I need to have a really serious talk with her. I'm just glad she and Tony worked things out..." she smiled as she peered back into the party to see Tony and Marah dancing close.

Sandy followed her glance and nodded a little. "Marah definitely deserves happiness. I really wish that Marina and Shayne could be here, though...I mean, they deserve a little break from all of the...insanity, you know? They were so close to breaking up at one point, and if they were to break up? I think I'd lose all faith in any love whatsoever. I mean, they're perfect together," he shrugged and frowned a little.  
Allie noticed the slight frown when Sandy talked about perfect couples. She knew where that came from, though. She'd had a lot of the same thoughts that he'd had on that topic. "Yeah. It's like all of Springfield is paired off, or something like that. My mom and Jeffrey O'Neill, my dad and Olivia Spencer, your mom and Josh, Marah and Tony, Marina and Shayne...even Lizzie and Eden have Joey and Bill..." she shrugged.  
He reached to the middle of the table and put his hand on hers. "Maybe the world is just trying to tell us to hold out for something better," he flashed a smile.

She smiled as she looked into his eyes. _Something better...hold out for something better. What if I just found it?_ She asked herself, watching as his hand rested on hers. "Yeah, I mean, all this waiting has to amount to something. I can't have passed up on everyone else for nothing..."   
He shook his head abruptly, and turned her hand over, holding it in his. "If a woman like you stays single forever, this world is definitely screwed up. I'll assure you of that, Allie..." he gently explained.

~~

Eden glanced subtly out the window, watching as Sandy and Allie opened up to each other. _Oh God, Allie. What are you doing? I need to stop you, but I know I can't do it alone. Who in here will help me? _She glanced toward Marah and shook her head._ How about Marah? _She asked herself. _No. Marah is all for them being together. So is everyone else in here...except...Lizzie! Allie's sister hates her passionately. I need to talk to Lizzie..._she looked at Bill and yawned a little. "Uh, Bill, can you get me something to drink?" she asked. "I need to sit down for a second, if that's okay with you, anyway..." she shrugged.  
Bill nodded, smiled and planted a soft kiss on Eden's cheek. "Sure. I'll be right back..." he turned and walked to the table to get Eden a drink.

Eden seized the opportunity and walked over to Lizzie. "Hey, Lizzie. Would you mind terribly if I interrupted this little dance, so we can talk for a second?" she asked, flashing a slight smile at Lizzie, who smiled back. "I think I have an offer that you'll be interested in. It's about Allie."  
Lizzie nodded, held her index finger up to Joey and followed Eden to a secluded corner, away from everyone, so they could talk privately. "I'm listening...what about Allie?"  
Eden pointed out the window, where Allie and Sandy were smiling and staring into one another's eyes. "I need to keep Allie away from that stupid creep. He finds stuff out about people and uses it against them on his stupid little radio show there..." she cringed and glared at Sandy.  
Lizzie shrugged and laughed a little. "Maybe a little humiliation would do the bitch good, huh? Maybe we should let their little relationship take its course and let her get hurt in the end..." she curled her upper lip at her older sister.

Eden shook her head and held up her index finger. "Hear me out, Lizzie. I have a plan. I think losing Sandy would make her a lot more miserable, at this point, anyway. Not that I want to make her miserable, I just want to keep her from him. He's bad news..." she explained. "So...if we work together..."  
Lizzie became more and more interested in Eden's plan. "I see where you're going with this. And it's sounding better and better every second. Count me in. Where can we meet to start planning?" she asked with a smile. Maybe in the process of ruining Allie's happiness, she could get rid of her.  
Eden smiled a little and looked at her watch. "Tomorrow night at my place...at about nine? Bill is gonna be out with Remy, so we'll be able to plan as loud as we want..." she explained. "What do you say?"  
Lizzie nodded and turned back to go see Joey, knowing they had to keep their plan secret. "See you tomorrow, Eden. Looking forward to working together..."

~~

Allie pushed some of her hair behind her ear, laughing a little at the fact that Sandy looked unbelievably nervous. "I am having so much fun, Sandy. I mean, aside from our small moment of drama there. You need to loosen up a little and stop being so nervous. Let's go back in and talk for a little while..." she stood up.  
Sandy nodded and stood up, holding his arm out for Allie. "It's one minute until midnight, anyway...we don't want to miss the countdown..." he grinned a little bit.  
Allie grinned in reply, then winked. "Or the midnight kiss, right?" she whispered in his ear, causing a smile to crawl across his lips. "That's the most important part..." she laughed.  
Sandy gave off a full out grin and opened the door for Allie. "After you, Miss Spaulding..." he winked and joked a little, as Cassie announced that there were twenty seconds left until the New Year.  
"Thanks, Mr. Foster..." Allie laughed and looked up at Cassie. "SEVENTEEN, SIXTEEN, FIFTEEN..." she counted along with Cassie and Marah's loud voices, which were soon joined by Reva and Josh. "FOURTEEN, THIRTEEN, TWELVE, ELEVEN..." now, all the voices in the room were counting down, except for Cassie.

She looked around the room, putting her arm around her boyfriend Edmund Winslow. "Okay, now everyone grab your date and when after we all shout Happy New Year...kiss them!" she smiled as everyone slid close to their significant other. "FOUR, THREE, TWO, ONE..."  
Rather than burst out and shout Happy New Year, Sandy and Allie turned their glances to one another and smiled. Allie looked into his blue eyes as he leaned down and pressed their lips together. She closed her eyes and relished the brief moment in time, wrapping her arms around his neck and feeling his hands crawl around her waist. After a few more seconds, when they finally needed air, she broke loose from the kiss and stared into his eyes. "Happy New Year..." she grinned.

~~

Even after he got home, all that Sandy could manage to think about was Allie. She looked absolutely gorgeous, she smelled amazing...she was basically perfect in every possible way. He lay in bed, watching something or another on TV, but not even slightly paying attention. His head was still on the kiss. He'd definitely never forget that kiss. He hadn't kissed many people, but he could easily say that he'd just had the best kiss he'd ever have in his life. Alisha Spaulding was amazing, and nothing on Earth could tell him otherwise...not that he thought that anything would try. Allie was the sweetest girl in town, and anyone who could speak an ill word of her, didn't deserve the absolute blessing of her presence. She had to be something special. She'd understood him and his crazy life.

She understood everything. He'd told her about the Mole, and why it came into his life, and she just paid attention, quietly listening to every word he was saying and taking it in. Most others would call him a nut, slap him in the face and beg for him never to come near them again, but Allie...she wiped his tears away and hugged him, not only just getting rid of the tears, but taking his breath away as well. Not many people in the world were like her, it was safe to say. He thought about it for a second. _She's a Spaulding? Allie is a Spaulding. Wow...she must be made of a whole different mold or something. There's the Alan clone Spauldings...and then there's...well, I don't know. I can't even think of a kind Spaulding to compare to Allie. She broke the mold._

The look in Allie's eyes when she spoke to him was absolutely amazing. She seemed to hold respect for him. No one had ever respected Sandy in his entire life. He lay his head on his pillow and closed his eyes, thoughts of that night still coursing through his mind at a million miles an hour.

~~

Allie, rather than go back to her house, left a message with the butlers, Thomas and Nolan, and her grandpa Alan, to tell Phillip and Beth when they got home, that she was going to Marah's for the night. She looked to Marah, who had been flashing her a knowing glance since the moment she'd walked through the door and asked if she could stay for the night. Allie could tell that she was glowing with happiness, and she knew why, too. She definitely had feelings for Sandy Foster. He was an incredible person, who's life had been spent with people who misunderstood him or didn't care about him. She had to stand out. She had to be the one that cared and understood. Then maybe he'd feel for her like she was beginning to feel for him.

Marah could tell, by the happy look on Allie's face, that she was feeling something for Sandy. Of the few months she had known Allie, never once did she get a look like that on her face. It was Marah's life mission to make all of her friends happy, and if it made one of her brothers happy in the process, it was all that much better. She knew, though, that if she made it obvious that she was prying into Allie's life, she would get defensive. Allie had gotten one thing from the Spaulding family...her secretive attitude. She knew that it would take a lot to get her to talk, and admit that she felt something more than friendship toward Sandy, but it would happen sooner or later...


End file.
